Cynthia Harts Raymond

RAYMOND, Cynthia Harts Died peacefully in her home on December 10, 2011. Born at home in Madison, Connecticut, on September 9, 1913, she was the youngest daughter of William Wright Harts, Brigadier General US Army, and Martha Hale Harts. The family moved many times as a military service family, spending most summers in Madison, CT. While her father was military attache in Paris, France, she attended the French Lycee. She accompanied her father with the State Department delegation to Ethiopia for the Coronation of Haile Selassi. Her education in Fine Art continued at the Nixon-Sheldon School in Florence, Italy. She graduated from the Child-Walker School of Fine Arts on Beacon Street in Boston, MA and later became the representative in Florence, Italy for Miss Walker when she established her school there. Cynthia married Alan Boyd Banister, United States Navy, in Madison, CT, June 10, 1938. Together they had four children, Martha, Cynthia, Alan and Eugenia, for whom she has been eternally grateful. During his naval career they traveled up and down both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, stationed in Coronado CA, Key West, FL, Philadelphia, PA, Groton, CT, Kittery, ME, and Washington, D.C. They maintained a home in Mystic, CT. where Cynthia was an active community member as a volunteer aerial spotter during WWII and was also an early volunteer at the Mystic Seaport. Her husband completed his naval career as Commandant of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME. On his retirement, the family moved to York Harbor, ME. Adm. Banister died in 1963 at the age of 58. In 1965, Cynthia married Leonard Jessup Raymond, founder and CEO of Dickie-Raymond of Boston and a summer resident of York Harbor, ME. He died October 3, 1985. Cynthia was a founder of the Guild of Strawbery Banke, and a leading proponent of Strawbery Banke since its inception. She served as Trustee and Overseer of Strawbery Banke, and became an Honorary Overseer in 1996. The Cynthia Raymond Fund for Historic Gardens and Landscape was established at that time to benefit the gardens at Strawbery Banke. Cynthia was a member of the Piscataqua Garden Club for fifty years, serving in many chairmanship positions including President, enjoying gardening and flower arranging. Serving on the Board of Trustees of the McJannet Foundation in Talloires, France, now the European Center of Tufts University, for 15 years, she became an Honorary Board Member in 1995.She was also a founding member of the International Women's Club of New England and served as Program Chair and on the Executive Board. In York, Cynthia spearheaded efforts to save the Grant House in Goodrich Park for the benefit of the townspeople, acting as fundraiser and Secretary of the Ad Hoc Committee, appointed by the Selectmen. She served on the fundraising committee for the new library in 2006. She has most recently served as a founding member of the Green Energy Committee promoting energy efficient practices through numerous letters to local newspaper editorial pages. Cynthia was also a member of the Colonial Dames in New Hampshire, #978, a member of the York Hospital Women's Committee, and the Trinity Church Women's committee. She is survived by her four children - Martha P. Small of Palm Bay, FL, Cynthia B. Hosmer of York, ME, Alan H. Banister of Stonington, CT, and Eugenia B. Murley of Carlsbad, CA. A celebration of her life will be held at the York Harbor Reading Room from 4 - 6pm on her 99th birthday, September 9, 2012.To be part of a book of remembrances, please send an email to braboat@msn.com, or by post to C. Hosmer, PO Box 175, York, ME 03909. Contributions in her name may be made to the Cynthia Harts Raymond Fund for Care of Women and Children, York Hospital, 15 Hospital Drive, York, ME 03909. The family requests that no flowers be sent.